That’s the secret to dating in high school. By giving as little as they expect to get in return, seventeen-year-old Aubrey Housing and her three best friends have made it to the second semester of their senior year heartbreak-free. And it’s all thanks to a few simple rules: don’t commit, don’t be needy, and don’t give away your heart.

So when smoking-hot Nathan Diggs transfers to Lincoln High, it shouldn’t be a big deal. At least that’s what Aubrey tells herself. But Nathan’s new-boy charm, his kindness, and his disarming honesty throw Aubrey off her game and put her in danger of breaking the most important rule of all: Don’t fall in love.

“Warning: Bass’s debut novel will ignite ALL your feelings!” - Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy

“I loved LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES. Alexis Bass writes a compelling critique of the ways society expects girls to behave in their relationships, the lies girls tell each other–and themselves–to keep from getting hurt, and, when all is said and done, how only the heart knows the truth.” – Kristin Halbrook, author of Nobody But Us and co-founder of YA Highway

“Alexis Bass masterfully captures all the complexities of high school relationships. A lovely debut.” – Amanda Maciel, author of Tease

“A bold debut that authentically captures the frenzy of love, lust, and senior year of high school!” - Julie Murphy, author of Side Effects May Vary

“Love and Other Theories challenged my assumptions, dared me to think differently and burrowed into my heart. A heart-achingly beautiful story about whether it is better to protect your heart or to take the biggest risk of all.” - Daisy Whitney, author of The Mockingbirds

“In her debut novel, Bass provides honest, incisive, and sometimes uncomfortable insights into the complicated intersections of friendship and romance, the ways sex can be wielded as a weapon, and the measures some teens take to protect themselves from pain.” — Publishers Weekly

“Bass’s debut is an entertaining perspective on the battlefield of the teen dating world.” —Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

About the Author:

Alexis Bass grew up in Washington, went to college in Arizona, and spent her early twenties in Seattle. She currently lives in Northern California with Dylan McKay, her gorgeous and rambunctious golden retriever. She loves good fashion and good TV as much as a good book, and is a huge advocate of the three C’s: coffee, chocolate, and cheese. LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES is her first novel.Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Tumblr

Giveaway!Win a $30 Barnes & Noble Giftcard or Win (1) Book of your choice written by Wendy Higgins Or Kristin Halbrook Or Amanda Maciel Or Julie Murphy or Daisy Whitney (US Only)

Fans of Ally Carter, especially her Heist Society readers, will love this teen mystery/thriller with sarcastic wit, a hint of romance, and Ocean’s Eleven–inspired action.

Julep Dupree tells lies. A lot of them. She’s a con artist, a master of disguise, and a sophomore at Chicago’s swanky St. Agatha High, where her father, an old-school grifter with a weakness for the ponies, sends her to so she can learn to mingle with the upper crust. For extra spending money Julep doesn’t rely on her dad—she runs petty scams for her classmates while dodging the dean of students and maintaining an A+ (okay, A-) average.

But when she comes home one day to a ransacked apartment and her father gone, Julep’s carefully laid plans for an expenses-paid golden ticket to Yale start to unravel. Even with help from St. Agatha’s resident Prince Charming, Tyler Richland, and her loyal hacker sidekick, Sam, Julep struggles to trace her dad’s trail of clues through a maze of creepy stalkers, hit attempts, family secrets, and worse, the threat of foster care. With everything she has at stake, Julep’s in way over her head . . . but that’s not going to stop her from using every trick in the book to find her dad before his mark finds her. Because that would be criminal.

I considerhisrequest as I shiftmy bag. I could do it. Easily, in fact. Allittakesis a modifiedfiddlegame. Mybrainisalready spinning the con, assessingresources, gaugingthemark. ButI’dlike a little more informationbefore I takethejob.

“You and everyotherstraight, red-blooded American male,” I say, more truthfulthankind.

I don’tneedtodragthisout of him. I can do thejobwithoutit. Buthow I approachthejobaffectshim, and understandinghismotivationslets me knowhowfar I can go.

“I likedherbefore. I’velikedhersincemiddleschool, whenshehadbraces and frizzyhair and waswhippingallourbutts at algebra.”

I sigh and givehim a sympathetic look. I’mgoingtotakethejob, of course, butI’mnotthrilledaboutit. NotbecauseI’mopposedtomanipulatingBryn, butbecause I alreadyknowMurphy’sgoingtogettrampled. And sinceMurphy’s a tech-club buddy of Sam’s, Sam isnotgoingto be pleasedif I helpBryn break Murphy’sheart.

I say, calculatingthefee in my head. Whatisthegoingrateforbreakingsomebody’sheart? Thisisone of thosequestionsthatmake me reconsidermy line of work.

“Fivehundred. Cash. Plus thestandard proviso.”

“What proviso?”

“Youowe me a favor.”

“Whatkind of favor?”

“Thekindwhereyoudon’tknowwhatitisuntil I askit,” I say, pausing at thedoortotheBallou. “Ifit’sanycomfort, it’susuallysomethingprettytame, and generally in yourarea of expertise.”

Murphy mullsovermytermsforall of half a secondbeforeforkingoverthe cash. I’dneverpaythatmuchfor a school dance, butthenmost of thestudents at St. Aggie’shavemoneytoburn. Evenworseisthethreat of anunspecified favor to be called in at a later date. ButI’veneverhadanyoneprotest. I guessthat’swhat comes of havingunlimitedaccesstowhateveryouwant—whenyouneedsomethingyoucan’tget, you’rewillingtoputeverythingonthe line. Maybetheopportunitytoconfessyourundyingloveisworthit. I’veneverfeltthatwayaboutanyone, so what do I know?

“Whenshould I askher?” he says.

“A weekfromtomorrow,” I answer as I open thedoor. “Thatgivesus time to lay thegroundwork, butstillgivesher a fewdaystobuy a dress. Assumingshedoesn’thave a closet full already.”

“Whatifshesays no?”

“Youshould be more worriedabouthersaying yes.”

He gives me a confused look.

“I’lltakecare of it,” I say, steppingintothewarmglow of theBallou.

About the Author

Mary Elizabeth Summer is an instructional designer, a mom, a champion of the serial comma, and a pie junkie. Oh, and she sometimes writes books about teenage delinquents saving the day. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her daughter, her partner, and her evil overlor–er, cat. TRUST ME, I'M LYING, a YA mystery, will be released by Delacorte in Fall 2014.